Assignment:

The Audi Driving Experience Center, located to the west of Ingolstadt, Germany, needed to be a place for Audi customers and guests to experience the Audi model range in a new way. The concept was to showcase every aspect of the brand using a number of different channels.

The 47-hectare site needed to include both a 30,000-sq m dynamics test area for exploring the limits of driving physics under realistic conditions and a 3.4-km handling course.

BFE was commissioned to plan and implement media technology for the Driving Experience Center. This part of the overall project included presentation areas on two levels with monitors and projectors, a VIP room for exclusive presentations, and a flexible conference area. The aim was to control all the media technology from one control room.

Solution:

BFE implemented the entire technical media infrastructure for the new building. This project presented a challenge in the form of a monitor wall 4.80 x 2.80 m in size, with 16 seamless, full HD, 55-inch monitors. The images shown on the monitor wall are recorded in 3D using the specially produced digital signage software "AMMS (Audi MultiMedia System) Octopos". The videos are shown in 4K definition by default. To achieve optimum sharpness, 8K-resolution text overlays are placed in a separate layer over the 4K videos. Each monitor is controlled separately in full HD, meaning conventional split-screen technology is not used. Instead, a complete image is displayed using the 16 monitors in full HD, resulting in outstanding image quality.

A series of around 50 monitors with an extremely high luminance of 800 nit was manufactured especially for Audi. As a result, the Driving Experience Center is using the brightest 30-polarization monitors currently available anywhere in the world.

The entire building was divided into in a total of 42 event zones, each of which can be filled with different acoustics using a variety of "scenarios". The rooms are controlled using a Crestron media control system; this system not only controls the audio, but also uses DMX and pre-programmed scenarios to control the lighting.

The current room configuration is reported to the Crestron system using the appropriate door contacts and the room/foyer lighting and sound reinforcement are matched accordingly.

The entire conference area can accommodate around 200 people and has a 7.30 x 2-m monitor wall, consisting of eighteen 55" displays. The special aspect ratio of 32:9 allows two full HD presentations to be displayed next to one another.

Highlights:

• The 4.80 x 2.80-m monitor wall impresses thanks to 16 of the world's brightest 3D polarization monitors

• Proprietary digital signage software "AMMA (Audi MultiMedia System) Octopos" was produced in 3D for playback purposes

• Videos are played back is in 4K by default, while 8K-resolution text overlays are placed in a separate layer over the 4K videos

• Instead of using split-screen technology, the image is assembled from 16 controlled monitors to create a high-quality overall picture

• The VIP room for exclusive presentations includes a 70" full-HD display recessed in the wall for recording supporting presentation content

• The flexible conference area has multiple monitor walls, including a monitor wall 7.30 x 2 m in size with eighteen 55" displays. This monitor wall can display two full HD presentations next to one another

Equipment details:

• 18" monitor wall with 3D Planar displays

• 16" monitor wall with 3D Planar display

• 9" monitor wall with 3D Planar displays

• 2 x 84" 3D Planar displays in 4K resolution

• 4 high-performance split computers with three10 content memory with 16 K playout

• 9 digital signage 3D Planar single displays

• VIP room: 70" display with overlay, camera and Elo Touch

• Crestron Matrix 32x32 DM-KS, 5 Crestron touch panels, QSYS Audio DSP

• Automatic content sequence control via CMS and Crestron media control

• Broadcast vehicle external connection box

• Engineering room with direction unit

• 17" EIO touch panel with QR code camera for CMS operation

• Dome cameras and live camera for transmitting events

• Exhibition wall consisting of glass mi displays and backlit display cases